Sinan Pasha

Who was Sinan Pasha?

Sinanüddin Yusuf Pasha or in short Sinan Pasha, was a Kapudan Pasha of the Ottoman Navy for nearly four years between 1550 and the end of 1553, during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. He was of Croatian descent, the predecessor of Piyale Pasha in this rank and the brother of Grand Vizier Damat Rüstem Pasha, who in turn was married to Sultana Mihrimah, a daughter of Suleiman the Magnificent.

Sinan Pasha and Turgut Reis collaborated on several naval expeditions in the Mediterranean Sea, particularly on the coasts of Italy and North Africa. Sinan was not an expert on naval issues as much as Turgut Reis, who was a more popular commander among the admirals and captains of the navy, and this often caused conflict between the two. In an incident following the Ottoman conquest of Tripoli in 1551, the entire Ottoman fleet left Sinan Pasha on the shore and followed Turgut Reis into the Tyrrhenian Sea, declaring that they would accept only Turgut as their commander. Turgut Reis, however, considered this to be mutiny and treason and ordered them to return.

Disturbed by this conflict, but favouring the talent of Turgut Reis, Sultan Suleiman ordered Sinan Pasha to "do whatever Turgut says." Most Ottoman seamen of that time, however, believed that Turgut Reis deserved the rank of Sinan Pasha.